It is always a remarkable experience to revisit wines — not just the ones you have collected over the years, but also the wines you wished you had. There are pleasant surprises among older wines and also disappointments.
I joined a group of friends who amassed a nice collection of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons from our cellars. The wines included the 2016 Joseph Phelps Insignia, 2013 B Cellars Paradise Hills, 2013 Beringer Private Reserve, 2012 Blankiet, 2005 Shafer Hillside Select, 2005 Karl Lawrence Herbert Lamb Vineyard, and 2017 Chappellet Pritchard Hill.
Some — such as the Chappellet — I knew would show well because of its pedigree. And it did. Still a baby, it was a mouthful of bliss with great complexity and power.
The disappointment was the Beringer. This wine dominated the Napa scene before the turn of the century, but the wine hasn’t impressed me since Treasury Estates bought the property in 2011. By itself, I’m sure it would have been enjoyable, but when compared to similar wines, it falls short. Too ripe, lacking finish and structure.
On the other hand, the Insignia reminded me of the old, rustic style of Napa cabernets from the 1980s. I always thought the wine was vastly overrated, but the 2016 I tasted changed my mind. It was big with a long, long finish.
The B Cellars and Blankiet were new to me. Blankiet got started with the help of viticulturist David Abreu and wine consultant Helen Turley. It showed more of a Bordeaux style than a Napa style — not big, bold and fruit-forward, but more feminine with sophistication and finesse.
B Cellars sources grapes from the vaunted Beckstoffer vineyard. The 2013 was a brute with complexity, depth and surprising young after a decade in the bottle. Similarly, the Shafer Hillside Select — always a favorite of wine — was still tannic but with riper, more forward dark berry fruit and smoothness.
The Karl Lawrence more simple than we expected, but I’m told that’s just their style. It’s a wine that got my head spinning, trying to reach for an elusive flavor or scent. Heidi Barrett was once involved in making this wine.